Prep ingredients: Dice the bacon, peel and dice the onion, mince the garlic, and peel/dice the potatoes into ½-inch pieces. Tear the kale into small pieces.

Brown sausage: Heat a drizzle of oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage, breaking it up as it cooks. Cook until browned, then transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Crisp the bacon: In the same pot, add diced bacon. Cook until golden and crispy, then transfer to the plate with sausage. Drain all but about 1–1 ½ Tbsp of bacon grease.

Cook aromatics: Add diced onion to the pot and sauté for 4–5 minutes, until softened. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

Thicken broth: Sprinkle flour over the onion and garlic, stirring to coat. Slowly pour in chicken stock, whisking as you go.

Flavor the broth: Add thyme stems and chopped rosemary directly into the stock for an herby depth of flavor. Stir well.

Cook potatoes: Add diced potatoes, bring mixture to a gentle boil, and cook 12–15 minutes, or until fork-tender.

Finish the soup: Stir in cooked sausage, most of the bacon, heavy cream, and kale. Simmer another 5–10 minutes, until kale is wilted and everything is heated through.

Season & serve: Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes as desired. Garnish bowls with the remaining crispy bacon.